That Yitzchak “trembled a very great trembling” is a powerful statement. The phrase implies an exceptional incident taking place which serves as a foreshadowing of the future. Pesikta D’Rav Kahana states that Yitzchak suddenly became aware of Eisav’s deception. The presence of Gehinnom — which Yitzchak felt when Eisav entered the room — caused Yitzchak to realize that he had erred terribly all these years. Had Rivkah not manipulated the course of events, maneuvering Yaakov to enter before Eisav, who knows what the disastrous outcome might have been? Indeed, the entire history of Klal Yisrael would have been severely altered. This near miss mandated a trembling of the greatest proportion.
Horav Avigdor Miller, Shlita, offers the opinion that herein lies a lesson for the future. Yitzchak undoubtedly took great personal interest in the educational development of his sons. Indeed, they were to be the link in the future of Klal Yisrael. Finally, Yitzchak had arrived at the decision that Eisav was worthy of the blessings as heir apparent to the mantle of the Patriarchs. Suddenly, everything in which he believed fell apart. He perceived that Eisav had been deceiving him for all of these years. Yitzchak began to understand that his belief in his “evil” son was his ultimate error. All of the “wonderful” virtues that Yitzchak believed Eisav embodied were a sham. He erred because of his partiality to Eisav which induced him to overlook Eisav’s evil character traits and base personality.
Yitzchak’s trembling has a parallel — the regrettable situation in the world today, when the righteous and virtuous are ignored and cast aside while the wicked and powerful are honored and revered. In the era of exile, Bnei Yisrael were to be despised and repudiated, while the world revered the evil and those of false ideals. This will continue until mankind will arise from their slumber with a very great trembling, and realize their terrible error. The story of Yaakov and Eisav is the story of the good against the evil, the weak against the mighty, the truthful against the deceivers. One day the truth will become apparent, and the world will clearly comprehend their error. Until that glorious day, we must submit to the effects of that error.
